Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas now offers free high-speed Wi-Fi to departing passengers. The service began last weekend, the Department of Tourism said in a news release issued Wednesday.

The initiative was made possible by a partnership between Tourism and the V.I. Port Authority.

Port Authority Director Carlton Dowe said while the project took longer than projected to get off the ground, he was pleased with "synergies of interaction between the organizations to deliver a valuable service to the traveling public."

"A similar project is in the works for the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix in the new year," he said.Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty said passengers logging onto the network are asked to complete a brief survey about their travel experience in the Virgin Islands. The data will be used to help the territory improve its offerings."We are pleased to offer this service," she said, reporting that the department had received hundreds of emails from registrants who have logged online to use the service over the past few days.

“This feedback and data are incredibly valuable and will help ensure we remain a premier destination of choice in Caribbean travel."